3 Larynx Positions You Need to Master to Sing Like a Pro

The position of your voice box (aka adam's apple, eve's apple, and larynx) is a huge factor in how good your voice sounds and how easy singing will be. If your larynx is high when you sing, you'll sound like Spongebob and your high notes will feel tight and difficult to sing. If your larynx is too low when you sing, your voice will sound dull like Spongebob's friend Patrick, despite the fact that singing is much easier in this larynx position. Keeping a neutral larynx produces the most balanced vocal sound, but most singers will not be able to accomplish this until they develop control over the two extremes. For maximum vocal freedom and control, you need to develop control over the larynx. Here are three ways to do it:

1. Practice vocalizing with a dopey/yawn-like tone. This will reinforce control over the low larynx position. Place your finger on your adam's apple when you do this, in order to monitor if it goes up as you ascend in your range. If it does, just exaggerate the feeling of yawning the higher you go in pitch. Vowels like uh (as in buck) and oo (as in boot) are conducive to a lower larynx sound.

2. Practice vocalizing with a nasally/whiny tone. This will reinforce control over the high larynx position. Again, monitor the position of your larynx by placing your finger on your larynx when exercising your voice with this sound. If this sound becomes too tight, go back to the low larynx sound to bring back ease into the voice. Vowels like ee (as in beet) and aa (as in bat) are conducive to a high larynx sound.

3. Practice vocalizing without allowing the larynx to move.The feeling of keeping the larynx neutral will resemble the feeling of speech for most people. Depending on your voice's tendencies, if your larynx goes up or down as you sing, counter-balance by using a dopey or nasally sound to keep it neutral. Singing on a muh is a great way to reinforce this because it the "m" gives your voice nasality and the "uh" sound naturally drops the larynx.